Burnout in Intensive Care Nurses during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Scoping Review
Doja-Ojo, Torera (2026)
2026
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-202602173074
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-202602173074
Tiivistelmä
This thesis discussed burnout faced by the nurses working in the intensive care unit during the COVID-19 pandemic. Burnout is a mental and emotional response that occurs as a result of being exposed to stressful situations for a prolonged period of time (Maslach & Leiter, 2016).
Though the CDC does not recognise burnout as a mental condition, it is still a phenomenon that affects many people, especially those who work in high-stress environments like the Intensive Care Unit. The aim of this study is to create and raise awareness on how ICU nurses were able to mitigate the extreme amounts of burnout they experienced while caring for patients with COVID19 during the coronavirus pandemic.
The method used for this research is a scoping review of 8 peer-reviewed articles that were carefully selected with certain inclusion and exclusion criteria and thoroughly analysed.
The results of this research led to four themes; personal, interpersonal, societal and organizational coping strategies which have fourteen sub-themes altogether including religion and spirituality, relaxation and leisure, mental health care, cognitive reframing, avoidance, selfeducation, personal protective measures, support from loved ones, socializing with coworkers and following protective measures. Also, provision of resources, organizing training programmes and financial compensation and acknowledgment on the part of the organisation and creating public awareness as a societal coping method.
The theory of Caritative Caring by Katie Eriksson supports these findings. This theory emphasizes the importance of utilizing care as a method to foster encouragement and dispel feelings of worry and anxiety (Alligood, 2018).
In conclusion, the coping strategies that were derived from the articles were found to be effective and useful in managing burnout and stress during the pandemic.
Though the CDC does not recognise burnout as a mental condition, it is still a phenomenon that affects many people, especially those who work in high-stress environments like the Intensive Care Unit. The aim of this study is to create and raise awareness on how ICU nurses were able to mitigate the extreme amounts of burnout they experienced while caring for patients with COVID19 during the coronavirus pandemic.
The method used for this research is a scoping review of 8 peer-reviewed articles that were carefully selected with certain inclusion and exclusion criteria and thoroughly analysed.
The results of this research led to four themes; personal, interpersonal, societal and organizational coping strategies which have fourteen sub-themes altogether including religion and spirituality, relaxation and leisure, mental health care, cognitive reframing, avoidance, selfeducation, personal protective measures, support from loved ones, socializing with coworkers and following protective measures. Also, provision of resources, organizing training programmes and financial compensation and acknowledgment on the part of the organisation and creating public awareness as a societal coping method.
The theory of Caritative Caring by Katie Eriksson supports these findings. This theory emphasizes the importance of utilizing care as a method to foster encouragement and dispel feelings of worry and anxiety (Alligood, 2018).
In conclusion, the coping strategies that were derived from the articles were found to be effective and useful in managing burnout and stress during the pandemic.